How To Make Lower Section of Deck Stair Guardrail Stronger - Home Building Tips

www.homebuildin... Click on this link if you're interested in learning more about stair building, deck construction and other outdoor projects. Here's a video that will help you create stronger guardrails that will make your building inspectors happy. The simple construction techniques and methods used in this video can make the difference between building a safe set of stairs or one that can be a liability issue for the property owners.

[@peterbarlow8912]

Your bolts in the setback post are still in the short grain peaks of the stringer. Deeper cross blocks would engage more of the stringer through grain and allow a wider bolt spread. Like your ready rod and cross blocks suggestions. I would block all the way.

[@matthewclarke6624]

So helpful! Thanks

[@stairbuilding]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Gumby1974]

Do you have any videos showing a good supporting connection between the top landing and the long railing posts posts?

[@stairbuilding]

I would go to our website and check out the deck and outdoor stair sections.

[@paullanducci440]

Great ideas.

[@stairbuilding]

Glad you like them!

[@wolfgaidin]

I notice that the carriage bolts are in a line - do you not advise offsetting the bolts to assist in avoiding splitting? Thanks!

[@stairbuilding]

It really depends upon the width of the post and the with lumber you are connecting to. I think in a situation where you have a 4 x 4 post, it might be better to put the bolts in the center or just use one bolt. For example if you moved it over a half-inch to the right, then you might only have about three quarters of an inch between the outside of the post and the inside of the hole you drilled and this might not work good. Let me know this doesn't make sense.

[@francoisaube3114]

Love your bracket idea

[@stairbuilding]

Thanks

[@roadrunnerblink]

How are the (other) support posts fixed to the stringer and the landing? Is bolting though enough or would they have to be notched? Thanks.

[@stairbuilding]

Most of the time the posts are attached with some type of building hardware, lag bolts or regular bolts with washers, but there are other ways and notching them might be one of them.

[@rrenee501]

Generally, what is the height of the stair rail? I just dismantled my stairs/landing leading into the house from the garage, but forgot to measure that height.

[@stairbuilding]

Minimum guard railing height is usually going to be 42 inches and the gribable handrailing that you would hold onto while using the stairway is usually between 34 and 38 inches.

[@rrenee501]

@@stairbuilding Thanks!

[@robertmallen7696]

Move the post back so you can connect to the lower part of the stringer that will give you more strength don’t connect to the top of the stringer at the tooth go back to the route

[@stairbuilding]

What is the route?

[@onetwothree4148]

I think they are saying that your example should have spread the bolts out further on the stringer when you moved the post back and had the opportunity to use a larger bolt spacing. The closer your fasteners are to each other the less useful they are against leverage.

[@bull5919]

put the dam post on the inside instead of the outside and block it just saying

[@stairbuilding]

Yes, just make stairs a little wider to make sure the guardrail does not make stairway width to small for local building codes.